October 3, 2024

The Votes Are In…And “The Last Day in Kojo” Wins At the Webbys

The Votes Are In…And “The Last Day in Kojo” Wins At the Webbys

The Votes Are In…And “The Last Day in Kojo” Wins At the Webbys

April 24, 2024

The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) podcast “Chapters” episode “The Last Day in Kojo” was named the People’s Voice Winner for Best Documentary Podcast at the annual Webby Awards. The narrative podcast details the day ISIS invaded the Yazidi village of Kojo, with firsthand accounts from survivors.

“In my short time at MBN, I have been taken by the remarkable work of this organization. This story and the Chapters team have been standouts, winning two awards in as many weeks,” stated MBN Acting President/CEO Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin. MBN manages and oversees MBN digital platforms and podcasts. “Being nominated by the Webbys and then selected by voters demonstrates the importance of this story. Even in a world divided and distracted, the plight of the Yazidis deserves our attention.”

“The Last Days of Kojo” is an expansion of a report that initially appeared on Irfraasawtak.com (Raise Your Voice). It accounts the brutal ISIS offensive into Kojo on Aug. 3, 2014. The podcast highlights what happened when the ISIS fighters overtook the village, killing the men and older women, enslaving younger women, and forcing children to turn against their families to become ISIS fighters themselves. The podcast shows how this once peaceful village turned into a ghost town in a matter of days.

“The Last Day in Kojo” won gold last week at the New York Festivals-Radio Awards for Best Narrative/Documentary Podcast.

About MBN

MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by the U.S. government through a grant from U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency. The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.

Find out more

Contact Deirdre Kline
Director of Communications, Alhurra Television, Radio Sawa

Originally published at https://www.usagm.gov/2024/04/24/the-votes-are-inand-the-last-day-in-kojo-wins-at-the-webbys/